WEDDING BELLES A DATE has finally been fixed for one of Hong Kong's highest-society couples, Andrew Yuen and Yvette Yung. The flamboyant, party-loving twosome have been courting for some time and are poised to throw an elaborate nuptial bash later this month. Yuen, known for his love of designer clothes, and his fiancee will host a Chinese banquet for 500 at the Grand Hyatt ballroom on January 18 to celebrate their union. Yung - closely related to CITIC boss Larry - has opted to have her wedding dress designed by David Emanuel, the London couturier who kitted out Princess Di on her big day all those years ago. She is also said to have prowled through the salons of Valentino and Diane von Furstenburg in search of more evening gowns for her trousseau.
Barney Cheng - described by all as 'Hong Kong's only couturier' - is also grabbing a piece of the action; he's been commissioned to make five dresses for Yung and 11 for the bridegroom's family. Knowing Cheng's reputation, these will be a far cry from the frothy numbers so beloved of Hong Kong's fashion set but will, instead, be of serious couture quality. They say a wedding gown designed by the no-frills maestro is almost worth getting married for just to wear it.
ALTAR-ED IMAGE SPEAKING of Barney Cheng and wedding dresses, the word is that he is teaming up with a well-known supplier of diamonds to create - get this - a diamond-studded wedding gown. The gemstone-encrusted dress and veil will have a six-digit value, and plans are in the works to take the piece around Asia in a bid to sell it. Given Hong Kong's love for ostentation, it's unlikely the glittering ensemble will ever make it out of the territory.
FRENCH TOAST STILL on the subject, a small, exclusive hotel in the south of France with stunning views of the area has been booked out for a weekend in July for the nuptial celebrations of a former Hong Kong-based interior designer and her aristocratic European fiance. Neither party has as yet been named but select members of Hong Kong's fashion contingent are already planning their wardrobes for what is bound to be the swishest wedding of the season.
AD NAUSEAM THINGS can't surely be so bad in the luxury retail sector that William Louey, son-in-law of chic brand-name importer Shia Ping Lee has to resort to peddling false hair-pieces? That's how it appeared when Louey was spotted in TV ads for Rever's snap-on hair. A quick call to Rever confirmed that it was indeed Louey trying on the strands of artificial hair for the benefit of the camera - and for a very good reason: he is a partner in the successful hair-salon chain and believes in the product enough to publically endorse it. So, does he or his glam wife actually use the hair-pieces? 'Er, I don't think so,' said Gary Lo, Rever's marketing manager. Still, Lo was happy to admit that sales of the snap-on hair are 'acceptable'.
CLEAN ACT APART from the usual seasonal mix of tuxedos and ballgowns sent for dry-cleaning to Repulse Bay specialists Goodwins, manager Mike Geary was startled recently to come across an Elvis Presley suit. Complete with cape and bejewelled belt, the outfit, which was 'clearly for a tall man', could well have been the real thing - and a real collector's piece - although Geary couldn't say for sure.